Have you ever wondered how higher education in the United States stacked up against foreign education credentials? Did it ever cross your mind that someone who graduated from a foreign university might have had more classes and course work than you did in earning the same degree? You may be surprised to learn how your college degree program measures up with regard to international equivalencies.

Some college degree programs in countries such as Pakistan have historically allowed students to complete a Bachelor Degree program in only two years. As the educational system in this country evolves to keep pace with the international community, however, the number of years required to get a Bachelor’s Degree has increased. Understanding how this has changed can be very important to properly evaluating educational credentials.

Many countries, including some European countries, India, and now Pakistan, offer 3-Year Degrees. Many of these programs offer the same number of contact hours as programs in the United States. Some, in fact, offer more course work and hours than American universities do.

Other countries, such as those that were once part of the U.S.S.R., typically provide students with double or more than double the amount of courses and contact hours required for graduation from an accredited degree program in the U.S. Some students who attended college in the Ukraine, the Russian Federation, or Uzbekistan, may earn over 300 credits for a Bachelor Degree.

Overall, though, how do educational programs compare worldwide? The universities in most countries typically recognize the Bachelor and Master’s Degrees offered by other countries. Some European countries have agreed to become part of an organization called the Bologna Process, which is designed to standardize higher education. The United States has not yet committed to this perspective, but developing a standardized system of offering college degrees would certainly help to universalize higher education.

What do you think?